Sixth form students at Ron Dearing UTC pushed themselves to the limit as part of two major trekking expeditions.
Eleven Year 12 and Year 13 Computing students took part in a five-day Outward Bound adventure course in Howtown in the Lake District to increase their confidence and improve employability skills such as leadership, teamwork, resilience and communication.
The challenge, near Ullswater, saw them complete a jog and dip into the lake, orienteering, map skills, a gorge scramble and various team challenges.
They then travelled to Glenridding where they walked eight miles to Angle Tarn and camped overnight, cooking their own meal and setting up their tents, before returning to Howtown.
Their final challenge included mountain orienteering to collect stamps which could be exchanged for materials and equipment to build a raft for another challenge. The students built the rafts the following day before returning home.
Jason White, Head of Computing at Ron Dearing UTC, and Robbie Olsen, Teacher of Computing at the school, accompanied the students on the challenge.
Jason said: “All of our Computing students are offered the chance to join this challenge, which helps develop their personal and professional skills and their resilience.
“The 11 students did absolutely brilliantly. They persevered, helped and supported each other to the very end.
“They really came out of their shells and those who are often very quiet took the lead on some activities, encouraging the other students along the way.”
In a separate physical challenge, two Year 12 students and three Year 10s completed the main Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) expedition which contributes towards their bronze DofE Award.
The programme aims to empower young people aged 14 to 24 while building confidence and resilience, and sees hundreds of thousands of young people take part every year.
The students walked nine miles from Millington in the Yorkshire Wolds to Fridaythorpe, which they have trained for throughout the year including a walk around Welton, East Yorkshire.
They camped overnight, cooking their own meals, before walking a further nine miles to Wharram Percy the following day, accompanied by Jason and Kirsten Hopper – a Science Teacher at RDUTC — throughout the challenge.
All five students carried up to 14kg of kit in their rucksacks in difficult rainy weather. Impressively, two of the students completed both the Outward Bound and DofE challenges consecutively.
Jason added: “All the students did brilliantly and successfully completed the expedition, which means they will achieve the award by the end of the year.
“As well as the expedition, the DofE Award includes other elements like volunteering, developing a new skill and improving fitness levels.
“The skills the students gain from challenges like this are very highly regarded by employers. I’m very proud of all our students for their achievements.
Year 12 student Hermione Cook, 17, who completed the Outward Bound and DofE challenges, said: “I’ve been able to refine a lot of my personal skills such as communication, teamwork and leadership while completing challenging but fun outdoor activities. I really stepped out of my comfort zone.”